Fence-machine



(No Model.)

0. F. BARTLING.

FENCE MACHINE.

Patented Oct. 19, 1886.

FFICEO CONRAD FREDRIOH BARTLING, OF GREEFVILTJE, OHIO.

FENCE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 350,967, dated October19, 1886.

' Application tiled December 18, 188:7. Serial No. 156,070. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, (Joann) FRIEDRICH BARTLING, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at Greenville, in the county of Darke andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFence- Machines, of which the following is a specilication, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain novel improvements in machines formaking wire-andpicket fences, which improvements will be fullyunderstood from the following description when taken in connection withthe an nexed drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of myimproved machine complete, having the picketwires applied, but not thepickets. Fig. 2 is a View in detail of wire-holders connected to thestretcher-post. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through thestretcher-post. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through line .v 00 onFig. 1, showing a top view of one of the spacers and itsclamping-holders. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional detail taken in theplane indicated by dotted line 3 y on Fig. 2.

Referring to the annexed drawings by letters, A designates a verticalpost, to which the twisters A A A are applied. This post has a shoe,K,secured to its lower end, upon the extension of which the slats aresupported while being secured to the fence-wires L. This shoe has awheel, I, applied to one side of it, which sustains the post A duringthe operation of the machine. On the ends of the tubular twisterssprocket-wheels B B 13 are keyed, to which an endless chain is applied,as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 1, and to the highest tubular twisterA a hand-crank, O, is applied by turning which the three twisters willreceive rotation for putting twists in the wires between the pickets.

D D designate adjustable spacers, the flaring bifurcated ends of whichare designed to receive a slat when sustained upon the exteir sion ofthe shoeK during the act of confining the slat in the wires L. Thestraight portions (1 of the spacers are transversely grooved on theirupper edges at d, and each spacer is clamped between two of thebearing-plates c e of a twister by means of a clamping-bolt, E, whichcrosses one of said grooves d and passes through the said bearing-platesand through the post A. By loosening the plates 0 e the two spacers canbe adjusted endwise for varying the spaces between the slats ofdifferent fences. If desired, vertical notches 6- may be made in thesides of the spacers for receiving teeth a on the plates 0 0, (shown inFig. 4,) thus aiding in rigidly holding the spacers against slippinafter being properly adjusted.

F designates a shifting bar, which is sustained upright and parallel tothe post A. This bar F is provided with angular plates H H at its ends,and also with arms F F, rigidly secured to it,which arms are pivotal] yattached to the arms GGof an oscillating shaft, G, that has its bearingsin eyes, ff, on the adjustable spacers D D, as shown in Fig. 1. lVhenthe said angular plates H H are thrust in between the pickets alreadysecured in place, the lever or arm G is used to forcibly draw themachine toward the complcted fence to force the picket last inserted toits place, also to force the machine back away from the picket after thewires are twisted to permit the insertion of another picket.

U designates a pedestal, from which rises verticallv a bar, \V, rigidlysecured therein, and tern'iinating at its upper end in a screw, \V. Onthis bar \V, which is square in crosssection, two hollow bars, X X, areapplied, on the lower ends of which are knife-edge bearings or offsetsOn the upper ends of the hollow bars X X are curved horns O O, for thepurpose of holding the coils of wire from which the fence-wires aredrawn.

N N designate guides for the fence-wires, which guides are looselyapplied on the bar \V, and constructed with bifurcations g 1 betweenwhich the fence wires are guided on their way to the twisters, as shownin Figs. 1 and 2. The knife-edges S S bear upon said guides and causethem to press the wires upon the surfaces 0 0 at the inner termini ofthe coil-supporting horns O O with more or less force, regulated by anut, V, on the screw-threaded end of the bar XV, according to the degreeof tension requircd. The guide at the upper end of the section X ispressed down by a plate, S, having knife-edge bearings, which plate isacted on directly by the nut V. It will thus be seen that the pressureof the three guides N upon the three pairs of wires is controlled byadjust- ICO ' ed on its pedestal.

ing the nut V, and that such pressure willbe practically equal on all ofthe wires L. The lowest wire-guide N presses its wires upon the elevatedsurface 0 of the pedestal U.

P designates a vertical Windlass, which is connected by wires or chainsT to some fixed object. This Windlass passes through eyes P on theguides N, and is sustained upon the base of the pedestal U, as shown inFig. 1. The upper end of the Windlass I has an eye, P through whichpasses a hand-lever, Q, adapted to engage with the rack-teeth R,surrounding the eye P ofthe highest wire-guide N.

The operation is as follows: Dig all of the post-holes, but'plant onlythe first post to the left and properly brace it to sustain the strainon the wires. Set up the twister to this post. Turn the crank Oso thatthe wire-holes are on a level. Put the wires L through the twisters andfasten them securely to said post. Then place thestretcherinthefirstpost-holes,mount- Now put the wires L from each twister into thenotches of the guides N. The shaft with the nut on top must be towardthe twister. There should be no twist in any pair of wires from twisterto stretcher. Fasten the wires or chains T to some solid post or tree online of fence and tighten by means of windlass. Now draw each wireLthrough the guides as far as can be done by hand, and tighten the sameby screwing down the nut V, after which the wires are drawn as tight asis required by means of the windlass and held by dropping thehand-leverQbetween two teeth of the rackteeth B. After stretching the wires, put athin board under the twister on the line of the fence, for the twisterto stand on. Push the twister close to the post, give crank 0 twoturns,push the twister back, put the first slat between the pairs ofwires and rest it upon the foot K, and press it up close to the twist.Now turn the crank O opposite from the first turn two turns. After thefirst two slats are secured to the wires, put the bar F in the firstslats and use the ham dle G to dr"aw up the slats and to push thetwister back. The turn of the crank O must be reversed every two slatsto keep the twist out of the wire between the twister and the stretcher.

Afterpassin g a post-hole, plant a post and fasten all the wires to it.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a portablefencing-machine, the combination, with the post. A, provided with a footat its lower end for a slat to rest upon, and also with rotary twisters,of the adjustable bifurcated slat-spacers, and the shifting bar F,provided with angular plates H and connected by arms to vibrating1ever-arms sustained by said spacers, substantially as described.

2. The adjustable spacers D, notched as described, and confined by meansof the bearingplates of the twisters and a bolt passed through theseplates and through the post A, substantially as described.

3. ,The combination of the bar WV, sustained by a pedestal and providedwith a nuton its upper end, the hollow sections X X, provided withhorns, bearing-surfaces, and knife-edges, the notched guides N, and theplate S, for the purpose of clamping the fence-wires, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination,with the post NV and its wire-clamping sections, asdescribed, of the windlass P, guided by eyes on the guides N, providedwith a lever at its upper end, and also with an arresting-rack for thislever, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. Aportable fencing-machine consisting of the following elements incombination: the post A, provided with rotative twisters, a rollingsupport, and a slat-supporting shoe, the'ad justable spacers, theshifting bar F, connected by arms to vibrating arms sustained by saidspacers, the vertically-supported shaft provided with clamping devicesfor the fencewires, as described, and the windlass 1?, itslooselyattached hand-lever, and the engaging teeth therefor, allconstructed and adapted to operate substantially in the mannerspecified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CONRAD FRIEDRICH BARTLING.

W'itnesses:

Jos. MAILLE, LOUIS P. PAQUET.

